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Wednesday, February 12, 2014

What's Up Wednesday

What’s Up Wednesday is a meme created by Jaime Morrow and Erin L. Funk, and designed to help writers stay in touch with each other. I'm grateful to them for creating this structure, which I am finding helpful as I document my path toward becoming a writer.

WHAT I'M READING

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Loving the creative structure of this book so far. The use of a strong narrator voice (and it's Death, no less!) makes the book feel so different from most books I read. I am looking forward to seeing where this one goes.

The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal

I've just started this one which has been recommended to me by so many people. I hope to apply what I learn to my writing, and of course to the traditional willpower challenge, my healthy eating goals.

WHAT I'M WRITING

I made more progress last week with my plotting. I feel like it's taking forever, but I am assuming it's going as fast as it can, and that I shouldn't rush it. I've switched to a Google Spreadsheet to organize my thinking. I have a row for each scene, with columns for a description of what happens in the scene, the scene's purpose or twist/reveal, the location, the characters, and a notation for which of Truby's 22 Steps the scene pertains to. It's starting to come together. I'm hoping to refine it this week and maybe possibly start some actual drafting in the next week or two.

WHAT'S INSPIRING ME

This video titled "The Gap", featuring Ira Glasser talking about how hard it is to like your work when you're a beginner, and how you just need to keep going and not give up.

The yoga teachers (and many of the students) at my new yoga studio have been amazing me with their impressive feats of strength and flexibility. While on the one hand it reminds me how far I have to go, on the other hand it shows me what's possible with dedicated practice. It's a lesson that applies to writing as well.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON

It's Girl Scout cookie time! That means I have been splashing in puddles behind my daughter's red Radio Flyer, which is packed with cookie boxes and covered in a waterproof tarp. Yes, we're soliciting the neighbors despite the rain. Fortunately, everyone been very kind and they are buying lots of cookies, so it's been time well invested. I just wish my enthusiasm for this project matched my daughter's. She's loving it.

6 comments:

The Book Thief! I've owned that book and been dying to read it for AGES. I keep getting sucked into different books and different genres, but I'm stoked to dig in. I also am quite sure it'll make me cry, so I'm waiting for the need to read THAT kind of book ;-)

I think if I was cooped up inside in rainy weather, Girl Scout cookies showing up at my door would be one of the best things ever. :-) So really, you're doing them all a favour. I like to make use of tables and whatnot when I'm planning as well. I always need something to organize my thoughts. And it makes it that much easier to get to the actual writing part sooner!

I miss Girl Scout cooking, someone needs to introduce them to the UK!I hope you love THE BOOK THEIF as much as I did, it's one of my all time favourite books, I'm excited and nervous about the film, hope it's good.THE WILLPOWER book sounds really good too, I'll check that out.Good luck with your plotting!

THE BOOK THIEF is definitely one of those must-read books. Making Death the narrator was simply inspired. So well written.

Not much I can say about plotting, because I don't tend to do a lot of it--at least on paper in advance. I will make some cursory notes, more to help me remember my ideas. Much of my plotting happens between my ears. However, I'm totally with you on the dedication and discipline front. I lack a lot of it, and wish I could be a lot more focused when I need to be. Too easily distracted... bright... shiny... umm... sorry, where was I? :)

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I am a writer, coach, facilitator, former marketing executive, and a mom. I blog here about the practices and routines that cultivate curiosity, creativity, connection, and resilience. I'm glad you're here!